2014 was the year Canadians searched for gold in Sochi. We searched for scores in Brazil. We searched for answers on Ebola. We searched for our favourite movies starring Robin Williams. In 2014 the world searched Google two trillion times. And Google’s 14th annual Year In Search offers a revealing look at the people, places and events that sent Canadians searching for answers this past year.

Year-In-Search uses data from multiple sources while filtering out spam and repeat queries, to build top-ten lists across pop culture, sports, music, politics, news, and more. And make sure to check out the interactive data visualization for Google’s global search trends - encompassing queries from over 70 countries!

Global and Local Conversations

The World Cup was the top trending search on mobile devices by Canadians in 2014, while the sudden passing of iconic funnyman Robin Williams in August dominated the year’s celebrity and entertainment searches. Closer to home, a scandal swirling around Jian Ghomeshi made the former radio host the top trending Canadian. Our nation also went online to honour Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and to mark the passing of a Habs legend. Meanwhile, Eugenie Bouchard’s incredible year on the professional tennis circuit made her the top searched Canadian athlete.

The Big Questions

‘What is ALS?’ Was Canada’s trending question of the year, proving that dumping cold water on a charity campaign can be a recipe for viral success. ‘How to Vote’ was the top trending ‘How to’ search in Canada, reflecting a number of provincial and municipal elections across the country. And – spoiler alert! – ‘Who killed Joffrey?’ was Canada’s top trending whodunnit, as Game of Thrones fans went online searching for answers. While the Polar Vortex dominated Canadian searches in January, searches for Frozen the Movie (the top trending film of 2014) suggest that Elsa the Snow Queen ruled the north in 2014.

Canada Went Mobile in 2014

Eight out of ten of the top trending technology searches in Canada were related to mobile devices or wearable technology. The larger format iPhone6 and the Nexus 6 were one and two on the list, and the Moto 360 was a top trending gadget as Canadians went online to learn more about the next generation of wearable technologies.

As we set out to embark on another year of big global moments and national conversations, take a moment to pause and reflect back on 2014. From trending diets and recipes (Shepherd’s pie!) to the top musicians and federal politicians of 2014, enjoy a look back at the year that was through the lens of Google search.

A rap parody from a pair of Canadian YouTubers. Some displeased celebrities. Americans eating poutine for the first time. An alternate ending to one of the biggest movies ever.

These were the moments that captured Canadians’ attention this year. As 2014 draws to a close, YouTube Canada is sharing the videos that shaped our year with the release of our annual Rewind list of the top trending videos that captured the spirit of the year.

This year's Canadian top trending list includes a fun spectrum of video hits that set the cultural trends from some of the most popular channels. To determine the top videos of the year, YouTube Rewind looked at the many ways people interact, share and like videos, to identify the ones that everybody was talking about in 2014.

Four years ago, YouTube introduced the skip button to let consumers choose whether to watch ads… or not. Now, all ads are skippable. From thankful ATMs to puppy love, today we’re also releasing the list of ads that resonated the most with Canadians in 2014, See more of the year’s top ads on Think With Google.

Check back later today when we update the blog to include the top trending global list once its released, but in the meantime other fun trending videos in Canada are:

Canada. You rock. It's been less than a year since we brought Google Play Music to Canada and already it’s one of our top performing markets. As a bit of a thank you, this holiday season, the Google Play Music team will be bringing some of our favourite Canadian musicians ‘home for the holidays’ across three cities: City and Colour in Toronto December 4th, New Pornographers in Vancouver on December 11th and Coeur de Pirate in Montreal on December 18th.

Look for special invites and updates from the bands and local partners to learn how you can be one of the few lucky music fans to attend these exclusive shows.
We will update the blog with highlights and images from each of the shows in the coming weeks. Additionally, throughout the month of December we will be featuring great music and bands from each of the three cities in Google Play. Starting with Toronto, you can find special discount offers for select local artists and curated playlists, and check back for Vancouver and Montreal.

In a recent survey by Google Canada, nearly half of Canadians (46%) told us that streaming music has helped them discover more new artists, and over 30% cited that what they love most about streaming music is the an extensive library. So... if you are not familiar with Google Play Music yet, enjoy 60 days of unlimited music streaming as a limited time offer during the weeks of our 'home for the holidays' events. Google Play Music is also the only platform with a locker feature that allows you to store your own collection of music for free along side our library of over 30 million songs.

#PlayMusicCanada Update - December 5th, 2014

Thanks City and Colour fans, for joining us at the Great Hall last night for his acoustic performance and for helping to make our first home for the holidays concert a really memorable event. If you haven't heard City and Colour's music before, take a listen at Google Play Music or take advantage of limited time discounted prices on albums from tons of great Toronto artists.

Vancouver, you're up next! We can't wait to bring The New Pornographers home for the holidays on December 11th!

#PlayMusicCanada - Update - December 16
A big thanks to the fans of The New Pornographers for hanging with us last week during their special performance at The Wise Hall and Lounge in Vancouver. The show is over, but keep the party goign with The New Pornographers' music on Google Play Music. You can stream or download your favourites today and stay tuned for updates and exclusive content from the show.

We are gearing up for Montreal later this week and we cannot wait to groove to Quebec's own Coeur de pirate.

#PlayMusicCanada - Montreal Update - December 19
Wow! Merci, Montreal. What a way to end our home for the holiday, Google Play Music campaign. The venue, the music, the fans could not have made for a more beautiful and festive conclusion. Looking forward to celebrating with you all again some time in the near future.

Don't forget, we were recording the live shows, and hope to have a special treat for you all at the Google Play Music store in 2015. Stay tuned.Posted by Blaire Nichols, Music Partner Manager for Google Play, recently listened to "Hometown Toronto" Playlist